Genius Brands Grows ‘Stan Lee’ Business for Centennial Celebration

“Stan Lee” Documentary to Premiere on Disney+ in 2023

Stan Lee Online Store Launches, Featuring a Branded Product Collection

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration today of the legendary Stan Lee’s 100th birthday, Genius Brands International (NASDAQ:GNUS), the controlling partner of ‘Stan Lee Universe’, owner of all rights to the name, voice, likeness, signature, licensing of Stan Lee and certain post-Marvel IP, signed an agreement to co-executive produce a documentary on the life of Stan Lee that will debut on Disney+.

A link to the trailer is available at: https://vimeo.com/user131041961/stanlee

Additionally, Genius Brands commemorates the special occasion of the iconic comic book creator with the launch of a new online store, featuring products from the Stan Lee Centennial Collection to coincide with Stan Lee’s 100th birthday. The store exclusively features three Stan Lee collections: Stan Lee Comic, Stan Lee Retro, and Stan Lee Centennial, with additional product categories to debut in 2023. Visit shop.stanlee.com. Additional Stan Lee-branded products to come to market include apparel from Hot Topic; bags and backpacks from Sprayground; collectible figures from Good Smile; and fine art from Moor Art, as well as Funko who will be releasing in January 2023 an exclusive Stan Lee collectible figure and boxed t-shirt to celebrate the Godfather of Comics!

“We are thrilled to celebrate Stan Lee’s 100th birthday today with multiple initiatives that pay tribute to this true cultural icon starting with creating a marketplace for his fans and with telling his fascinating story in the upcoming film premiering on Disney+,” said Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands

Earlier this month, Genius Brands kicked off the Stan Lee centennial year with a fan activation at Los Angeles Comic-Con. Legions of fans lined up to sign a giant 100th Birthday card for Stan, many of which were personal messages thanking him for the joy he brought to their lives with what he had created during his lifetime. Unique merchandise was offered at the show, including an exclusive Stan Lee collectible figure, which quickly sold out.

Stan Lee was the co-creator of the most successful characters ever made, including Spider-Man,Iron Man,Black Panther,The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Thor, Silver Surfer,Ant-Man,Nick Fury, and of course the #1 movie box-office franchise of all time, The Avengers.  For decades, Stan was the editor and creative force behind Marvel Entertainment, which was sold to The Walt Disney Company for $4.4 billion, and has since proved to be worth many multiples of that amount. 
 
About Genius Brands International
Genius Brands International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNUS) is a leading global kids media company developing, producing, marketing and licensing branded children’s entertainment properties and consumer products for media and retail distribution. The Company’s IP portfolio of family-friendly content features the  Stan Lee  brand,  Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, coming to Kartoon Channel!;  Rainbow Rangers  on Kartoon Channel! and Netflix;  Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, on Netflix and more.  Recently, Genius Brands entered into an agreement to acquire Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media (TSX-V: WOW), which includes 2,500 channels under the Channel Federator Network, and has also made a strategic investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (FRA:RTV), one of Europe’s largest distributors and broadcasters of high-quality programs for children and families.

Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed entertainment platform with 100% penetration in the U.S. television market and international expansion with launches in key markets around the world. The channel is available in the U.S. via a broad range of distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH,  Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Android TV, Android Mobil, Google Play, Roku, YouTube, KartoonChannel.com, Samsung Smart and LG TVs, the JetBlue Inflight platform and more. Genius Brands will soon launch the subscription-based Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse, featuring metaversal content and over 15,000 animated titles. 

For additional information, please visit  www.gnusbrands.com.

Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, our ability to generate revenue or achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all; the potential issuance of a significant number of shares, which will dilute our equity holders; fluctuations in the results of our operations from period to period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of content and within the retail market; our reliance on and relationships with third-party production and animation studios; our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace with technological advances; our ability to protect our intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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